1. Field
The present disclosure relates to techniques for providing a single-sign-on (SSO) service in a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environment.
2. Discussion of Related Art
VDI involves a computing technology for building a virtual desktop environment on a server connected to a network, and allowing a user to perform operations within the virtual desktop by accessing a server through a thin client, or a zero client that only has some necessary devices such as an input device, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, etc., and a display, and the like. Since the VDI technology allows a user to use the same desktop environment regardless of his/her physical location and provides advantages in, e.g., ensuring security, the VDI is being used more frequently, especially in business work environments.
Meanwhile, single-sign-on (SSO) involves a technology for enabling automatic access to a plurality of services with only a single login process. For example, assume that three systems A, B and C should be accessed for work purposes. When the SSO technology is employed, a user may log in to only one of the systems to automatically access the remaining system as well. However, when the SSO technology is not employed, the user must enter an ID and password into each of the three systems.
Now, assume that a user accesses a virtual desktop in a VDI system through a client and logs into a target system (for example, an office work system) over the accessed virtual desktop. In this case, the user first has to log into the VDI service system using his/her client to access the virtual desktop, and then has to log in to the target system over the accessed virtual desktop. This is inconvenient for the user since two logins are required (i.e., it is a two-step process): the VDI service system login and the target system login.
Using SSO to combine the VDI service system login and the target system login might appear to be a way of avoiding the inconvenience. However, with the VDI service system login and the target system login performed at the user's in-use local terminal (or local desktop) and at the virtual desktop of the VDI service system, respectively, information is blocked from being exchanged between the local terminal (or local desktop) and the virtual desktop, except for information to enable exchanging keyboard input and screen output. Therefore, SSO does not present a solution in the conventional VDI service system since the conventional VDI service systems prevent the SSO functionality from working with both the VDI service system login and also the target system login.